Overview

Instrumentation

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS)

This mass spectrometer measures the amount of about 75 different elements on the periodic table that can be found in water, sediment, soil, or rock. Gustavus's ICP-MS is mostly used to study Southern Minnesota’s lakes, rivers, land, and wetlands.

Zeiss Confocal Microscope

This microscope—complete with four lasers, three detectors, highly sensitive optics, and a connected computer with specialized software—has the ability to view the shape and location of certain structures in the cell and quantify dynamic processes in living cells.

Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer

The scanning laser Doppler vibrometer shoots a laser off of an object to measure the object’s movement. It works much like a police radar gun measures the speed of a car; unlike a radar gun, the scanning laser Doppler vibrometer measures movement 20 million times per second.